Multiple windmill

ABSTRACT

A multiple windmill in which three fan wheels are mounted on a common rotatable frame and are each rotatably linked to a common fixed wheel or gear. The fan wheels are each rotated by the force of the wind and in turn rotate the common frame in which they are mounted. The device may be in the form of a display device such as an ornamental lawn device, with the exterior of each fan blade marked so as to create ornamental patterns when the blades and the frame are rotated by the wind. The common stationary drive wheel serves to rotate all three blades at a common velocity.

United States Patent Peterson Sept. 24, 1974 MULTIPLE WINDMILL Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene [75] Inventor. John R. Peterson, Withee, WIS. Assistant Examiner Robert F. Cutting Assigneer The ay ee O ganization Attorney, Agent, or FirmHoward I. Podell Inc., New York, NY. a part interest [57] ABSTRACT 22] Filed; Man 2 1973 A multiple windmill in which three fan wheels are mounted on a common rotatable frame and are each [21] Appl' 344,779 rotatablylinked to a common fixed wheel or gear. The

' fan wheels are each rotated by the force of the wind 52] us. (:1 46/58, 46/58, 40/39 and in turn rotate the Common frame in which y 51 Int. Cl A63h 33/40 are mounted The device y be in the form of a [58] Field of Search 46/58; 40/39 p y device Such as an Ornamental device, w the exterior of each fan blade marked so as to create [56] References Ci ornamental patterns when the blades and the frame UNITED STATES PATENTS are rotated by the wind. The common stationary drive wheel serves to rotate all three blades at a common 903,879 ll/l908 Nusley 46/58 velocity 1,434,563 11/1922 Robertson 46/58 l,583,881 5/1926 Heberling 46/58 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MULTIPLE WINDMILL SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION velocity of all three fan blades, and rotation of the common frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the device;

FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the device taken along line 3'3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3B is a fragmentary sectional view of the view of FIG. 3;. I

FIG. 4A is an elevation view of the stationary drive wheel;

FIG. 4B is an elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the stationary drive wheel; and

FIG. 4C is an elevation view of a further alternate embodiment of the stationary drive wheel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the device consisting of three fan blades 11, each rotatably mounted about the axis of hub 12 to a triangular frame 13, with said frame 13 being rotatable in the vertical plane about stationary wheel 20. A tail rudder 14 is fastened to the axle shaft 39 and serves to rotate the plane ofthe fan blades 11 into the wind, about rotatable bearing 21.

As shown in FIG. 2 and 3A, a central stationary drive wheel is fixed by bolt 28 to the axle shaft 39 which is fastened to vertical support 38.

Drive wheel 20 frictionally engages, along its perimeter, pulleys 31, with each pulley 31 being fixed to the axle 32 of a fan blade 11 so that rotation ofa fan blade 11 rotates its axle 32 so as to rotate frame 13 about drive wheel 20 and to cause the other two pulleys 31 and the other two fan blades 11 to rotate at a common velocity. Each axle 32 of a fan blade 11 is mounted in bearings 29 mounted in the triangular shape frame 13, with each axle 32 being located at an equal distance from the other two axles 32, and at an equal distance from the common axle mounting 39 of the stationary drive wheel 20. Axle mounting 39 is mounted to a vertical shaft 38 whichis rotatably joined to the fixed vertical rod 16 by a rotatable coupling 21.

The stationary drive wheel 20 may be formed ofa rim 41 joined by three radial arms 42 as shown in FIG. 42, or may be formed ofa rim 41 joined by four radial arms 42 as shown in FIG. 4B, or may be in the shape ofa disc 43 with four holes 44 in the face of the disc to lighten the weight of the drive wheel 23.

The face 46 of each fan blade 11 may be shaped or decorated in the form of a design which creates an attractive appearance when the fan blades 11 and frame 13 rotate.

The device 10 may be employed as a fixed display device with vertical shaft 16 permanently mounted into the ground or a supporting structure, or the device may be designed as a lightweight portable toy which is held by means of shaft 16. I

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A display device mounted on support means for the attracting of attention and for the creating of an attractive appearance, consisting of three fan blades each rotatably mounted to a common frame, such that rotation of a fan blade causes all the fan blades to rotate about their individual centers and causes the said common frame and the fanblades to rotate in relation to the support means of the device, with the center of each fan blade located on the said common frame an equal distance from the center of the other two fan blades, with each fan blade fixed to an axle, each axle being rotatably mounted on a bearing in said common frame, with a pulley mounted on each axle, such that the pulley of each fan blade is located in a plane common to the other two fan blade pulleys, in which the perimeter of each fan blade pulley is in contact with the perimeter of a stationary common drive wheel, said drive wheel being fixed to the support means of the device, such that individual rotation of each fan blade pulley serves to rotate both the common frame and the fan blades about the center;

of the stationary common drive wheel.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which the support means is mounted in a bearing fastened to a fixed base member which permits the rotation of the support means about an axis perpendicular to the axes of the axles ofthe fan blades and the axis of the stationary common drive wheel so as to enable the plane of the fan blades to orient perpendicular to the direction of a wind.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2 in which a steering rudder is fastened to the support means to rotate the support means under the effect of a wind blowing against said rudder, to the direction in which the plane of the fan blades is oriented perpendicular to the wind. 

1. A display device mounted on support means for the attracting of attention and for the creating of an attractive appearance, consisting of three fan blades each rotatably mounted to a common frame, such that rotation of a fan blade causes all the fan blades to rotate about their individual centers and causes the said common frame and the fan blades to rotate in relation to the support means of the device, with the center of each fan blade located on the said common frame an equal distance from the center of the other two fan blades, with each fan blade fixed to an axle, each axle being rotatably mounted on a bearing in said common frame, with a pulley mounted on each axle, such that the pulley of each fan blade is located in a plane common to the other two fan blade pulleys, in which the perimeter of each fan blade pulley is in contact with the perimeter of a stationary common drive wheel, said drive wheel being fixed to the support means of the device, such that individual rotation of each fan blade pulley serves to rotate both the common frame and the fan blades about the center of the stationary common drive wheel.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which the support means is mounted in a bearing fastened to a fixed base member which permits the rotation of the support means about an axis perpendicular to the axes of the axles of the fan blades and the axis of the stationary common drive wheel so as to enable the plane of the fan blades to orient perpendicular to the direction of a wind.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 2 in which a steering rudder is fastened to the support means to rotate the support means under the effect of a wind blowing against said rudder, to the direction in which the plane of the fan blades is oriented perpendicular to the wind. 